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Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Microsoft Holographic shows us the future of wayfinding

Microsoft is trying very hard to be cool again as the company announces a new technology that uses a headset to superimpose holographic images right in front of your eyes. Created by the folks behind the Kinnect, the Microsoft HoloLens headset lets 3D holograms integrate with the real world. You can display video screens, icons and other graphical elements in full 3D within your field of vision. Holograms can be fully interactive and this is where things can get really interesting.

Imagine a world where information currently delivered through an interactive kiosk gets freed up from its confines. You can walk a trade show floor or visit a museum and have access to a wealth of information displayed right in front of you, blended into the physical world. This goes way further than current mobile applications because the holographic media becomes part of the environment.

I can see a parallel with Google Glass, and we all know how that went. Now, it's easy to criticize their experiment but Google was testing something entirely new. Based on Microsoft's announcement, I'm sure we will see improved versions of Google Glass and other similar technologies before long.

With Microsoft jumping into the fray, it's becoming quite evident that sensory based computing is here to stay and this will have huge implications for interactive kiosks, wayfinding and even digital signage.